Oranges put pressure on the government

The situation in algeria, despite his advanced age president, a. Bouteflika, despite all the difficulties in the economy, the food crisis stable through cleaning of the elites, which periodically conducts the president's inner circle. It weakens the power of the clans and does not allow them to grow to such an extent that it became dangerous. The system requires reform, but to hold them to no one, even with the support of the eu and the arab monarchies. Bureaucracy slows down any initiatives to modernize the economy, although oil and gas helps to keep it afloat.

Competing with morocco, algeria is monitoring the situation in the sahel, tunisia and Libya, fearing a consolidation of hostile elements, like the islamists, in Libya, and former soldiers of gaddafi's army. Policies towards migrants, begushij to Europe from Africa through algeria, is worrying the eu. Consider a situation based on the materials experts ipm a. A.

And bystrova, s. S. Balmasov. Timid liberalizatio experts from USA, algeria in the medium term will be able to maintain stability despite the state of health of president bouteflika, declining revenues from oil and gas exports, and the need for unpopular reforms, cuts in public subsidies. One of the main areas of government activities – attract foreign investors in the field of oil and gas that require amendments to local legislation.

In such a scenario, according to the americans, algeria will push the return of morocco into the ranks of the African union and its active work on restoration of influence on the continent. Despite the fears of heads of executive power, can not do without carrying out painful reforms. The only question of time they start. On the agenda are the diversification of the economy. Hydrocarbons account for 94 per cent of the country's exports, which gives the budget about 60 percent of the income.

The country is fully dependent on imports. The price volatility of oil and gas significantly affects the budget deficit. After the fall of hydrocarbon prices in 2015, the attempt to maintain an acceptable level of imports was worth of the algerian budget deficit of 16. 4 percent. Despite the crisis, algeria's gdp per capita is higher than morocco, which has achieved more significant results in diversifying the economy.

But in algeria a critical situation with the population stratification in a very poor and very rich ("The entrance to Africa"). Catastrophically melting foreign currency reserves. They account for $ 112 billion, whereas in 2014, to 177 billion, and in 2015 143 billion. According to experts of the imf, at the current rate of state spending, these reserves in 2017 will amount to 91 billion dollars, and in 2018 – 76 billion. The question of reformatting of the state revenues for algeria in priority.

The funds, which the country aims at economic diversification, significantly inferior to the expenses for the maintenance of public enterprises, social benefits and defense. The government cannot, including under pressure from the presidential entourage, to revise any of these articles. Attempts are being made, but to cause social outrage, as it was in 2016, when the government raised the sales tax from 14% to 17%. They plan to reduce social payments to $ 45 billion. Reducing gastral in 2017 shall be 14 percent (originally it was planned 9%), total import volume is planned to reduce by five billion dollars.

Attempts to prevent the devaluation of the dinar leads to the fact that it begins to rise sharply inflation. This demonstrates that the country, despite the fact that is the second after Russia's gas exporter to the eu, and the stabilization of world oil prices is unable to maintain the necessary balance of payments. The situation is compounded by the fact that the necessary modernization of the oil and gas infrastructure. Since 2007, domestic consumption of hydrocarbons has increased by 50 percent, and the production of black gold has fallen by a quarter. Accordingly, the reduction in the amount of social support of the population, which the government had organized through the state-run company "Sonatrach".

Attempts to increase production of shale oil and apply new technologies for extraction of residues from depleted fields there is no economic effect is not brought largely because under algerian law, the share of any foreign business in the project must not exceed 49 percent. For the preservation of this is the lobby of the veterans of the struggle for independence. In the end algeria for the first time in decades, appealed for help to international financial institutions. The government is also trying to raise funds in agriculture to reduce food imports. Updated in 2016, the constitution includes several items designed to make a more liberal domestic market and to attract foreign investment.

They prohibit the formation of new monopolies and require more to transform the law in the framework of attracting foreign capital. But the amendments are not specific, vague and subject to different interpretations. As a monument the local bureaucracy is often cited as an example of the project east-West highway, the cost of which exceeded the original three times and amounted to six billion dollars. The construction was accompanied by constant corruption scandals.

It was especially painful on the background of successful implementation of similar projects in morocco. The central bank of algeria is considered the most opaque and conservative among the countries of the maghreb. The degree of implementation of modern technologies of the algerian banking system is far behind Egypt, morocco and tunisia. So that us experts do not expect sharp turns in the economic policy of the country at least for the duration of the saving power of the old guard led by president bouteflika. Reform, apparently, will be the task of replacing the young generation, not so much focused on the oil business. With fittings – licenzirovanie. Html the eu is trying to expand gas imports from algeria, reducing the market share of Russian natural gas to reduce Moscow's influence in Europe.

The task must be solved by diversifying and strengthening the economy of algeria, as well as increasing the share of non-hydrocarbon energy in the country. This is as expected in brussels will lead to a reduction in gas consumption within algeria and to increase its production and exports to the eu market. What and intends to support the European union. This is evidenced by the 10th session of the association council algeria and the eu, which opened on 13 march in brussels, under the chairmanship of heads the ministry of foreign affairs of algeria, ramtane lamamra and the European diplomacy federica mogherini. It is noteworthy that the meetings were held behind closed doors, without publishing the details.

However, it became known that the parties signed a number of agreements, which should contribute to the stated objectives. In particular, the eu intends to concentrate on technical support to run in algeria's economic transformation, which brussels signed with algeria a number of projects totaling 40 million euros. Special attention the eu intends to pay to help the country in diversifying the economy, developing renewable energy and improving the business climate through reforms in public finance. The eu is the first trading partner of algeria, despite the "Offensive" of China, criticized the algerian political and economic realities that prevent solving problems. Especially "The institution of import licensing".

Eu leaders condemned the use of "Restrictive measures bilateral trade," introduced in algeria to fight with the "Export of capital". In particular, it was noted that the appropriate action in respect of cars, cement and rebar. According to the national customs service, imports from eu countries made up of 16. 79 billion dollars for nine months of the year 2016, whereas in the same period of 2015 was $ 19,22 billion. Apparently, while this situation in the medium term, not only France but the eu as a whole risk losing the first place among trading partners of algeria. Algeria was criticized for the "Downward trend" in gas production that "Is not conducive to investment by international operators" was caused by the restrictive measures of the authorities against foreign investors.

This has cost the treasury nearly seven billion dollars of lost revenue from duties on imported goods. Brussels was again raised and painful for the algerian regime the themes of human rights, paying particular attention to restrictions on demonstrations and assembly, freedom of religion pressure on the media, including the closure of some television channels. The eu praised the algerian government for "Improving the business climate, in particular in relation to investment, which rule 51:49 (according to algerian law, foreign companies can implement their projects together with local institutions and have in them no more than 49%) can be mitigated". According to mogherini, despite the fall in oil prices in 2014, algeria has a relatively comfortable position financially with foreign exchange reserves, estimated at almost $ 110 billion. Satisfaction was expressed about the situation of security in the country.

It is significant that mogherini has completed the presentation of visions, eu algerian affairs sympathetic opinion to the authorities of algeria, stating its intention to send a delegation to the scheduled 4 may parliamentary elections. Ramtane lamamra responded to attempts to "Chide" algeria reserved. He said that his country's relations with the eu comes primarily from its interests, and intends to do so in the future, although with respect to the obligations assumed. So the eu leaders, who dreams to get rid of "Energy dictate" Russia at the expense of algerian gas faces a dilemma – for the development of relations, it must abandon the "Spread democracy" there, not to fail energy plans. Brussels can not understand that in the realities of bureaucratic algeria.